Resolve
by AngelTrisha9
Summary: Kate made a choice, what if she stayed the course? Post A Deadly game, seriously starts after the elevator door closes
1. Chapter 1

I seriously meant this as a one shot. Really, I did, but it's turning out to be HUGE! so I decided to post it in parts. But I'll be done with it soon. Thanks to Cat for the Beta!

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Kate watched Castle and his ex walk away. As the elevator closed on the image that broke her heart, her eyes did too, burning that picture in her brain forever. She didn't dare open them to look at her audience and see the pity on their faces, so she took a step forward and headed for the ladies room, dropping her beer on someone's desk. Without a thought, Kate went in a stall and sat on the toilet, a wounded moan coming out of her throat. The sound hurt her vocal cords the same way her heart was slaughtering her soul, but nothing else came. Tears were stopped by the sound, but she was beyond them anyway.

It was the first time since her mother died that she had dared go beyond and open herself to the possibility of love and he just walked out the door with some bimbette on his arm. One he had already divorced! What did that say about her own worth if he preferred the blonde to her? Why had she bothered anyway? Sure, she wasn't in love with Demming, probably never would be, but she could have learned to love him. Damned if that was not what she should have done. It would have been safe, and probably just as frustrating as all her previous relationships, but at least she wouldn't feel like she was being repeatedly shot in the chest.

Kate closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall in defeat. She heard the room to the ladies room open and pulled her feet up to hide her location, despite the obvious lack of options. She knew it was Lanie, not only because, logically, she was the only one who could enter the room, but because she already knew her friend would be looking for her sooner or later. Kate wished it could have been much later, or not at all, but when the high heels went in the stall next to hers, she knew her time was up. The beer she had discarded not five minutes ago was passed to her from under the partition.

"We don't have anything stronger, sorry."

Kate took it and gulped down the first quarter of it. Lanie waited for Kate to speak, knowing that pushing the detective would be counter productive.

"The boys gone?"

"Not quite, they're planning the accidental demise of Castle's ex-wife."

"Not Castle's?"

A resigned sigh came from both sides.

"No, not Castle's."

"Why not?"

Kate's voice cracked on the question and she took another sip of beer to soothe her throat. It failed miserably and chose to remain, or so it seemed, in the region of her gag reflex, making her nauseous.

"Because he was doing what every broken hearted man does, girl. He found some willing woman to prove his worth. It's dumb, but that's what they do. Hell, that's what we do."

Kate thumbed the label on the bottle she was balancing on her knee and her face crunched in a grimace.

"*He* isn't heartbroken."

It came out bitterly, the pained moan clawing to be let out again. She washed it back down with more beer, adding to her already present nausea. She took a deep breath to keep herself from throwing up and let it out slowly, her lower lip shaking silently on the exhale. She was so busy trying to even out the pain in her heart and her urge to vomit that she didn't hear Lanie get out of her stall and open the door to the one she was occupying. She did hear the door crash open and a dime drop on the floor as Lanie glared at her, her arm keeping the door open.

"Wake up, girl! The man's been a wreck since you've started making eyes at Tom Demming and you know it."

Kate's Bambi eyes almost killed the tough as nail woman, but she knew that sympathy didn't work well and pity would land her on the floor, so the only thing she could do, as her best friend, was to force Beckett off her ass.

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"No I'm not; I'm just saying it's not his. But what did you expect Kate? That he'd watch you overcompensate with Demming and would stay here for you to notice when you weren't busy with your boy toy?"

Kate's jaw inched toward the floor as her grip tightened around her beer bottle.

"Overcompensate? What the hell does that mean?"

Lanie pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes; not quite believing the so smart detective had no idea what she was talking about.

"It means that Kate Beckett doesn't make out in the precinct with some guy, no matter how hot he is, unless she's got something to prove."

"Prove to whom?"

Both women crossed their arms in front of their chest, their stance full blow fight even though Lanie had the advantage, both in truth and in height.

"To yourself, girl! You needed to prove that Castle wasn't the one, that he was just a player and that you didn't love him. And where did that get you? In a dirty washroom, hiding in a stall, drinking warm beer. You want to show yourself something Kate? Prove you're not the wimp we just saw watch her man walk away with some dumb blonde piece of arm candy."

Despite her already strong urge to throw up, Kate took a swing of her beer and looked at Lanie as if the ME was a sphinx who would give her all the answers if she could just solve the riddle. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to make sense of her thoughts, but all that came through was:

"But he chose her."

"He didn't choose anything; he defaulted back to her. That sure ain't choosing."

Kate nodded, more to give herself something to do than because she was agreeing with Lanie. She stared in space, grasping at her thoughts. But so what if he hadn't chosen Gina? She could hardly call him and beg him to stay. What was she supposed to do? Wait until the fall and hope for the best? Put her life on hold until it was splashed on page six that Rick Castle had wed for the third time (or would it be second and a half)? What was she suppose to do? She hadn't realized she had spoken out loud until Lanie snapped her fingers to bring Kate's eyes back to her.

"I'll tell you what you're gonna do. You're going to go home, pack all your sexiest things, including that barely there bikini you say you don't own and then you're gonna go down there and get your man."

"And where am I supposed to stay? In Castle's spare room while he and Gina reunite?"

At the small snag in her plan, Lanie pursed her lips and then smiled.

"Vanessa."

"Your cousin?"

"Yeah, remember Carl?"

"That green bridesmaid dress cost me more than all the other five combined, of course I remember."

"Well, money man has a house in the Hamptons. I know they always keep the house ready, but they're in Greece right now, on a yacht. I'll give her a call, but you know she'll let you use the house."

Kate bit her lip and looked at Lanie without really seeing her. Could she do this? Could she really just go over there and claim Castle? Watching the conflicting emotions flutter over her best friend's very expressive face, Lanie sighed and crossed her arms in front of her chest again, her hip keeping the door open.

"Here are the options you have girl: You stay here and have a miserable summer because the man you love is with another woman. You'll make us all just as miserable with the scorned woman bitchiness and then you'll pretend that nothing has bothered you when Castle comes back, if he does. And then, you'll be mean to him because you will have convinced yourself that this is his entire fault. You'll be saying that he can't be trusted because he's just a little boy who can't keep his toy in his pants."

Kate winced at the picture Lanie painted; it wasn't pretty, but it was accurate.

"OR, you go there and get YOUR man. So?"

As far as options went, she didn't have many by Lanie's estimate. The annoying part was that her best friend was usually right.

"Vanessa won't mind?"

"She still owes you for that weird extra fabric over your ass."

The first real smile painted itself on Kate's lips, confirming her choice and her determination. She unfolded her legs and stood, towering somewhat over the ME who grinned.

"That's my girl, now let's go home and get you packed. I've got to get a hold of Vanessa."

Kate gave Lanie a hug and walked out of the Ladies room with her head high and if she wasn't happier than she'd been walking in, at least she didn't feel as pathetic and defeated. It was an improvement.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks again to Cat who corrected this and to everyone who read and reviewed. You guys RULE!

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Kate was sitting on the first step of Jeff and Vanessa's "little summer cottage". While she had yet to see the inside, she already knew that the three of them didn't have the same definition of any of those words. Well, maybe summer, but that was a default. Not that it really mattered, considering she was just a guest, or would be as soon as the housekeeper showed up.

Lanie had come with her to help her pack (and by packing the ME had meant putting every skimpy, sexy, slutty piece of clothing and lingerie Kate owned in a suitcase before pushing her out the door with several pairs of_ fuck me_ shoes.) and she'd made arrangements with her cousin who had agreed and told them she would call the housekeeper at a more civilized time. One look at the clock and a guilty time zone calculation had left them apologizing to Vanessa who had quieted them, telling them she'd always been a sucker for romance. Lanie had then left Kate to sleep with a 'Go get him girl', but the detective had been unable to find rest.

After tossing and turning for hours, she had given up and had decided to drive down, even if it was way too early. Which was why now she was waiting on the steps, sipping lukewarm coffee and toying with her mother's ring, asking for guidance.

She'd been assailed by doubts since she'd decided on this crazy course. Could she really do this? Did she really have the right to come here and interfere with Castle's life? What if he really wanted Gina? What if it was the best thing for him? What if she was humiliating herself? What if he took one look at her and laughed? What if he didn't? What if he chose her and then changed his mind?

And then something that sounded so much like her mother pushed her along. What if it just worked out? What if he was the man for her and this was her opportunity? Her test? What if she let that go without even trying? She'd be wondering for the rest of her life what's she'd missed with him and it would drive her insane, more than any of her previous "what ifs". That's what had made her turn the key in the ignition after a good twenty minutes of sitting in her car and that's what made her smile at the housekeeper, who was just now getting in the driveway.

"Miss Beckett? I'm Jane Allen, the housekeeper."

"Kate, please."

"Can I see some ID?"

The joy of gated communities. She pulled out her NYPD ID and gave it to the woman, watching her eyebrow rising just like the guard at the gate. That thing made her into such a reliable person to everyone. It was handed back to her and the woman climbed out of the car. She handed Kate a set of keys and walked up the steps, her own in her hands. She opened the door and gave a quick tour of the house, indicating which room Kate was to use and when they came back downstairs, she asked THE question:

"How long are you planning to stay?"

"I have until Wednesday morning, but if something comes up, I may have to leave sooner."

The housekeeper nodded and pointed to the phone.

"If I'm not here and you have to leave, my number is the first on the speed dial. You can leave the keys at the gate house,."

"Thank you, I'm sorry for the work…"

Mrs. Allen waved her off.

"I have a feeling you won't change my holiday routine much. Is there anything you need?"

"No, no. Thank you."

"Well, have a good day."

Kate walked out with her to take her suitcase out of her car and walked back in the house, closing the door behind her with a sigh. Here she was. Kate went upstairs and unpacked and then she eyed the bed for a grand total of five second. While she was dead tired, she knew it would be an effort in frustration so she put on some shorts and a work out top. Endorphins from a run would have to sustain her. She put on her sneakers, took the keys and her iPod and she hit the beach running. She went left though she should have gone right. Castle's place was five houses down that way. She figured the extra time would make her calmer when she'd turn back and run pas it. It was total bullshit, of course.

When she hit her mark to turn around, she started to look for his house and when she locked eyes on it, about 500 yards away from it, she saw him. He was sulking on the porch, his shoulder hunched over like the weight on the world was resting there. She held her breath as she ran past, not a wise move considering her increased need for oxygen, but Castle didn't notice her, he was staring at the bottom of his coffee cup, like the brown liquid held the answers to cure his sad face.

Kate's heart tugged her back but she kept on running; she was all sweaty and not exactly looking her best even though she knew that was ridiculous, Castle had seen her coming back from her sparring sessions, he wouldn't be fazed. And he wasn't. When she hit her mark, she turned back and noticed that the forlorn man had shifted his attentions from his coffee to the never ending roll of the waves and their eyes met.

She saw her name on his lips and she swallowed hard, barely aware of the fact that she had slowed her pace until she stopped when Castle scrambled from his chair, almost running to the beach, to her. She exhaled slowly to calm her racing heart and she knew the hammering in her chest had very little to do with her run. Her stomach turned liquid at the guarded joy on his face like he couldn't believe she was there and he didn't dare hope she was. She felt nauseous, but she put a smile on her lips, hoping to hide the fear she wouldn't acknowledge. Castle drew even with her and they both swallowed hard. He hadn't eve blinked since he saw her. Like he was afraid she'd disappear.

"Kate. Your beach house is in the area?"

"Beach house?"

She stared at him as if he'd lost his mind (how did he expect her to afford a place here?) until she realized he was talking about the house she was supposed to have rented with Tom.

"No, my plans… euh… Fell through and Lanie's cousin offered her place."

Castle nodded absently, she wasn't sure he'd heard her. He was still staring at her and she shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. Why couldn't he have seen her in the swimsuit she had planned on wearing? Castle seemed to shake himself out of whatever brain space he was in and asked:

"Lanie's cousin?"

"Vanessa. She married this guy, Carl."

"Portman?"

"That's the guy."

"Wow. Lanie's cousin, huh?"

Kate nodded.

"Why didn't you call? I have space, plenty of it. I would have been happy to get a room ready for you."

Kate bit her lip and looked at him, did he seriously think she was gonna call after he left with Gina?

"I was one of her bridesmaid. I think she feels like she owes me."

"Now I'm really sorry I missed the wedding. You and Lanie in bridesmaid dresses, could have given me plenty of blackmail material."

Castle waggled his eyebrows and Kate rolled her eyes, biting back her smile like she always did. She felt more at ease. This banter was them and it lifted her spirit to know that they hadn't lost that in the heart crush of seeing Gina walking in the precinct. Speak of the devil, it came out on the porch, wearing little in the way of nightgown and Kate's smile shattered.

"I should go, you're about to be wanted."

Rick turned back toward the house and Kate took this as her cue to start running again. She didn't sprint toward the house, but just because dignity demanded a regular pace. She didn't look back once, but she called herself a fool every step of the way. It had been her opportunity to make a stand and she had failed. Epically. If she didn't find a new mindset, where she was perfectly able to pursue Castle, this was going to be a long and futile week.


	3. Chapter 3

Hiya! So, I know this chapter is kinda short, but I promise the next two are going to be much longer. Thanks again to Cat for being awesome beta and to everyone who reviewed, read and flagged this story, you make it fun! Thanks!

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To give her battered ego some recovery time, Kate took a much needed shower, went to the market to get some supplies, looked over a few shops she couldn't afford to shop in and had come back to the house to take loads of time to make herself a light lunch. When she realized she was stalling, she finally bowed to the inevitable. Kate got herself beach ready (swimsuit, sunblock, sunglasses, sarong and book) and headed out. She pulled one of the overly padded lounging chairs out on the sand. People were already populating the beach, but she kept close to the fence, making sure she'd have relative privacy. She was barely one chapter in her book when a splash of cold water hit her legs. She pulled them back right away and looked up to see a soaking wet Rick Castle grinning at her.

"Castle! What are you doing?"

"You looked hot."

Kate blinked at him and wondered if she was the only one hearing the double entendre in his words, but knowing him, it was easy to figure he'd done it on purpose. So she decided the best course of action was not to give him a reaction.

"Well, I was fine."

"You are fine."

"Thank you, Mr. Kirk."

It was so easy and cheesy that then she did reward him with an eye roll and his grin widened, obviously glad to have gotten a rise out of her. But he didn't pursue it further, pleased with his results.

"What are you reading?"

She showed him the cover.

"Rosary Girls. Richard Montanari. Never heard of him."

"Didn't figure you would have. _HE _is a real thriller master. Way out of your league, Castle."

He grabbed his heart, bringing Kate's attentions back to where she was trying not to stare: His naked chest. It was nice, really nice. In the 'I take care of myself, but I'm not solely motivated by vanity' category it was really, really nice.

"You wound me, detective."

"Well, someone has to bring you back to earth."

"And you do it very well."

They smiled at each other for a second until Castle's attention wandered away from her to something behind her. She turned and saw that he was looking at the house, frowning almost imperceptibly. He was looking for something.

"You want a tour?"

"No, no. I've been here before."

His absent tone belied his attention to the windows if the way his eyes darted back and forth were any indication.

"Castle?"

"Demming not with you?"

"No."

"A case?"

Kate sighed and shook her head, but she didn't offer anything beyond that. If he wanted to know he'd have to ask her directly. She'd been willing to tell him the evening before, but there was still some shred of dignity she wanted to keep. She was already obviously chasing after him, she'd never live it down if he knew for sure. Castle was looking at her in silence, his face as serious as she'd ever seen until he smiled.

"That means you're on your own for dinner?"

"I'm not resource less."

"I know, detective, believe me, I do. But tonight is my Memorial Day cookout."

"Memorial day isn't until Monday."

Rick shook his head in disgust at her literal take of his sentence.

"And there will be one on that day too, but for the sake of your appreciation for accuracy, let's call it: 'Beginning of the long weekend cookout'. There will be food, there will be booze, a bonfire, some smores. Say you'll come."

Kate looked him over, biting the inside of her lip. This was too easy, but he seemed to really want her there. She still had to ask.

"Won't Gina mind?"

"Why would she? She invited some of her friends."

The F word hit her in the heart harder than she would have guessed. Yes, they were friends, and she was glad for that. It made everything else she wanted to be so much more and it was the one thing that made her secure in her desire to pursue this further. Had they not been friends, she never would have gotten to know the real Rick Castle. But she wanted to be so much more than this. More than be his friend and the fact that he didn't even hesitate on the word was horrible. She would probably never use that particular excuse again when letting a guy down gently. There was nothing gentle about this. But instead of saying no, as her little quivering heart asked her to, she lifted her chin and, as the fighter that she was, looked Rick in the eyes and nodded.

"I'll be there."

His grin made her glad to have her sunglasses on and it pulled at the corner of her mouth. They were interrupted by his beeping watch.

"Somewhere you have to be?"

"In front of my computer. I'm allowed leisure time in instalments of twenty minutes every two hours."

Her eyebrow raised in surprised puzzlement.

"Why the schedule?"

"Because, detective, I've been a very bad boy, but since I've been hanging out with cops, my publisher can't have me put in jail. I know people now."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Rick put his hands up in mock surrender and slowly backed away.

"Since I know just how true that is, I'm leaving. 7:30, don't be late."

With that, he turned away before Beckett could say anything else. She shook her head while she watched him jog back to his house, where Gina was waiting for him by the fence, holding a towel in the hand that wasn't pointing at her watch. She watched Castle take the towel from her and pass it through his hair before he turned back toward Kate and waved at her. She returned the gesture and sighed as Castle walked back inside, Gina trailing after him. She leaned back against the padded seat and closed her eyes. Friends. It was time to change his mind about that and from the looks of things, it was going to be easier than she would have expected. Castle seemed happy and eager to spend some time in her company. She wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Tom was nowhere in sight. Probably. She sighed again and her eyes popped open in sudden panic. What was she going to wear?


	4. Chapter 4

Hiya! So here is the cookout, I hope you gys will like it and if anyone was wondering, the swim suit wasn't the itsy bitty little bikini Lanie talked about. I've got big plans for it. *evil grin*

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, you guys rule and thanks to Cat for the awesome beta! T'es la meilleure!

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When 7:30 came, Kate was pacing in the living room. She was ready, had settled on the summer equivalent of the little black dress with loads of legs, cleavage and shoulders to show and she was pleased with the way she looked. Her hair was tousled just the right way, her accessories enhanced what they should and her dress was figure flattering. She knew she looked really good. But would it be enough? Well, she didn't want to be enough really, she was really looking to be better than Gina. That was truly her aim in this. Shallow, yes, but so true.

Kate let out a frustrated breath and let herself fall back on the couch. This was ridiculous. She was putting way too much thought into this. It was Castle after all. Castle. Her partner, her best friend, the person who knew her better than anyone in the world, even though she'd never admit any of this. There shouldn't be that much inner conflict at spending the evening with him. And his ex wife.

She tossed her head back in annoyance and was about to do the "Kate Beckett Groan" when she was interrupted by a knock on the back door. Puzzled, Kate got up and cautiously walked toward the kitchen. Castle was peering inside like any nosy neighbour. She smirked and put herself in his line of sight. She snorted when he jumped at her sudden appearance and the woman in her pumped her fist in victory when he gave her a very appreciative once over. She opened the door.

"Castle? What are you doing here?"

"It's 7:40."

"So?"

"I said 7:30. You're late. You're never late. You're annoyingly on time everywhere."

She arched an eyebrow at his delivery. He was babbling, which he was known to do on occasion, mostly when caught doing something he shouldn't, but this had an edge to it. If he had been a a girl… Well, this would have sounded a lot different.

"So? I'm on holiday. Maybe I work on a different clock away from the city. Beside it's a cookout, not a banquet with the Queen…"

She stopped and looked at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Were you afraid I'd stood you up?"

"What? No! My cookouts are much too sought after for that to worry me."

But the little frown on his face told her his words were a lie and she smirked.

"Let me get my sandals."

She left him standing in the kitchen and she added a little sway to her hips, just enough to give him something to look at. She retrieved her footwear and checked her makeup one last time. She was surprised to find herself smiling. The night before, at this time, he'd been stomping on her heart, and there he was now, waiting for her impatiently, afraid she would change her mind about an evening with him. She was way happier with this evening than the previous one.

Introspection done, Kate took the clutch she had left on the dresser earlier and went back downstairs where she'd left Castle. She held on to his shoulder as she put on her sandals and they walked out in silence. A little before they got to his place, she noticed the caterers setting up and Kate frowned.

"_Your _famous cookout? Wouldn't that imply, I don't know, that you'd be manning the grill yourself?"

"And waste a perfectly good party? I don't think so detective."

"Well, that's me disappointed, Castle. I'll have to tell Charlotte and Miranda what failure you are as an hostess."

Castle's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't dare. But if it will make you happy, and save my honour, I will cook your dinner."

"Fair enough, Castle."

He let her precede him in the backyard and she was surprised to see that there were no guest yet. She turned and looked at him, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Is the world aware that you're receiving?"

"Very much so, but I wanted to show you around first. Come on."

He lead her inside and Kate was impressed with the house. It was spacious, open and done as tastefully as the loft, but the thing that she liked the most were the pictures. In the living room, oversized and evenly spaced above them mantle of the chimney, were ten pictures of Alexis and her dad, taken on the beach, the two of them smiling widely at the camera, obviously having the time of their lives.

"Every year I take too many pictures and put the one when we were happiest there."

"Why?"

"Because one day she‟'l be grown, she'll be gone and they'll be all I'll have left."

Without thinking, Kate reached out and took his hand in hers, squeezing reassuringly.

"She'll never leave forever. You'll have more to put up and then one day she'll find a boy you don't approve of and there will be one with grandpa Castle."

"Ha, ha, funny. Not!"

She smirked at him and he tugged on the hand he was still holding.

"Come on, I want to show you something."

He lead her to his study and she smiled, looking around. As sleek as the one in the city looked like, this one was rustic charms with mementos of Alexis' childhood and his never ending one. A jar contained bouncy balls of every colour, lollipops of every flavours, shells were scattered around, finger paintings were framed and not all of them done by Alexis, and there were stacks of books and papers. But what caught her attention was the whiteboard. It look exactly like the one they used at the precinct and it was built the same too. She recognize her own technique.

"Well, at least I taught you something Castle. That your new murder?"

"Yeah, what do you think?"

She looked at it, flattered that he would want to show it to her, when she'd had so much trouble getting _Heat Wave_ the year before.

"Not bad Castle. There's just…"

She took the pens she found on the desk and changed a couple of things while he nodded. She handed them back to him and waited until he assessed her changes.

"Good eye detective. It was just the rough draft of the board, I'm starting the book from scratch and it came to me this afternoon."

"Why are you starting from scratch?"

"It wasn't what I wanted, the characters weren't going where I needed them to go. But I have more hope now."

He was looking at her like he wanted her to understand he wasn't talking about Nikki and Rook at all, like he meant this for them. She was about to answer when Gina interrupted them.

"Rick, your guests are starting to arrive. Detective Beckett, it's nice to see you again."

"Likewise. And it's Kate."

Gina nodded and her smile seemed genuine, making her feel cheap for wanting to scratch her eyes out a little bit and lying about her appreciation of being in her presence again.

"Shall we?"

He gestured out of the office and Kate let Gina walk out before her. Rick led her out, is hand on the small of her back and they walked out of the office and on the patio. Some people were there, mixing and greeting each other and Castle took her to make the rounds, introducing her to every one. By the way he was handling himself, one would have thought she was his date, not Gina. She wouldn't complain about that one. He eventually left her to her own devices, with a drink in her hand and a surprisingly enjoyable conversation partner. After a while, her new acquaintance moved on and Kate was left alone. But not really ignored, which she guessed had a lot to do with being Richard Castle's muse. She took a sip of her drink and looked around, Castle was on the deck, animatedly talking with a man whose name she couldn't remember. When there was a lull in his conversation, he looked around and their eyes met. He smiled at her and gestured to the grill. Kate nodded and walked toward him, leaving her empty glass on one of the pick up tray. She sided up to him and he waved his hand toward the raw stuff on ice.

"You choice, Milady."

She picked out a few kebabs, which were really more appetizer size than anything, and a few veggies for him to grill and he took over from the cook, in spite of the man's apprehensive stare.

"You cooking Ricky?"

People started to gather around and Kate figured this wasn't a regular occurrence either here or in gathering this big.

"My integrity has been called into question. Let the record show that I'm man enough to grill!"

And with that he dropped her fillet mignon and lobster kebabs on the grill and choked on the steam a lingering ice cube created when it fell in the fire. Everyone burst into laughter.

"What a man!"

"Yeah, yeah."

He waved his adoring fans away and put all his attention to her meal, making sure that it was just perfect. With an exaggerated sigh, Kate put her wine down at a near by table and un-skewered some of the meat. Lucky for her, the pieces were small enough that she only needed a fork and could balance her things, succeding to do all this in a dignified manner. She made a show of taking a bite, making him wait and stare as she judged the food, same way she would have for her last meal. Once she felt he had suffered enough she sort of did the little Meh! pout.

"It'll do."

"It'll do? I've slaved over this and it'll do?"

He gave her his best puppy dog eyes and Kate smirked.

"God, you're pathetic."

And she took another bite, denying her words that it was just decent.

"So, good huh?"

She couldn't contain her grin and Castle answered in kind, pleased like a little boy. She shook her head at him and they talked about various things while she ate: Alexis at Princeton, Castle dealing with Alexis at Princeton, the boys Alexis might meet at Princeton and the bodies Beckett might have to help him hide. His words, not hers. By that time, other people had joined in the conversation, trading stories of the same nature, though most had younger kids, so camp was more the thing than Ivy league schools.

Throughout the conversation and the rest of the evening, Castle pretty much remained by her side, always gravitating toward her, though she didn't get the impression that it was an obligation to him. Neither was the way he made sure she was included in every topic arising even if she didn't have much to contribute. He was a solicitous and gracious host to everyone, but he went the extra mile with her. He was singling her out as important to him, but not enough to smother her or make her feel self conscious. It was the perfect balance that left feeling… Special was the best, yet inadequate, word she had for it. It was a good feeling.

Despite her enjoyment of the evening, the effects f a mostly sleepless night caught up to her and she yawned discreetly. Attuned to her as he'd trained himself to be, Castle noticed immediately. He put his hand on her elbow and tugged gently.

"You ok?"

"It was an early drive this morning, trying to beat the traffic. I'm sorry. It's a lovely evening, but I think I'll head back."

"Back? Oh right."

He seemed to have forgotten she had a place to stay and looked chagrined before he smiled.

"Let me just tell Gina and I'll walk you over."

"No, Castle…"

But it was useless, he was already gone. Kate bit her lip and said goodbye to the few people around her. She then headed down toward the beach, debating or not whether to thank Gina for the evening, but she figured Castle was the host really. Before she had stepped on the sand, he had joined her.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Castle, you don't have to walk me home. I'm a big girl."

"Yeah, but you're not armed."

He gave her a questioning once over before adding,

"Are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Only if it involves a full body search."

She rolled her eyes and took off her sandals, making the short walk even easier.

"You need to read up on protocol, only a female could do a full body search."

"Oh, I know. Believe me. I know."

He added just enough leer to his face to make her scoff.

"Keep dreaming, Castle."

"Every night detective."

And the leer was gone, replaced by that earnest expression he always wore in his most sincere moments. She had opened a door for him to make an extra dirty comments or at least something to do with Racy lingerie and he'd let it go completely. Instead, he had looked at her just that way, the one that always started that insane flutter in her stomach. It was that look that upset her apple cart more than anything else. Sure, the nine year old on a sugar rush was cute and she liked to play with him, but this guy here, the sincere one who had tossed away 100k on her mother's killer and brought her food after, who kicked down the door to her apartment to save her, it was all him. It was him that made her dump Demming and take that leap of faith even though she knew she might crash on arrival. It was for that same reason that she had let Lanie call Vanessa because she knew that if she touched that man, the one with the heart of gold only a handful of people ever saw for prolonged periods of time, it wasn't such a big gamble anymore.

It was that part of Rick Castle that that made her turn to face him at the gate, lean forward and kiss his cheek close enough to his mouth that they were almost touching. Then she went on her toes and close to his ears.

"Sweet dreams then, Castle."

She pulled away and his wide eyes made her grin as she walked away, leaving him to look at her until she was safely in the house.


	5. Chapter 5

Hiya! So thank you to everyone who reviewed and especially to those who do everytime, you guys are seriously the most amazing peeps. Thank you! Cat, you rock. :D

I hope you guys like this!

* * *

When Kate woke up the next morning, her grin was still there. She wondered how he had slept and that made her giggle. Maybe she had been just a little wicked, but it had been so worth it. She flipped on her back and sighed in contentment, but it turned into a frown when her cell phone rang. Groaning, she extended her arm and smiled when she saw it was Lanie.

"You're up early."

"I'm driving to my parents for our family memorial day bash. My mother insisted I make it there before the church service."

"She realizes you don't go in the city, right?"

"Yes, why do you think she insisted?"

The exasperation in her best friend's voice made her giggle again.

"You're in a good mood. Either you saw writer boy or one of those rich, hopefully single, men made you a very good offer."

Kate scoffed and pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Just Castle."

"Well, that's good then. He is rich and hopefully soon to be, if not single, at least yours. How awkward is it with the ex-wife?"

Kate started to play with the corner of her sheet, twisting it as her thoughts were swirling. That part still made her uncomfortable even if she saw no evidence of a steamy relationship between the two.

"I don't know, Lanie. If I didn't know better, I'd say he came here with his sister."

The "hummm" on the other end of the line sounded thoughtful.

"Do we know better?"

"Lanie, what else could it be?"

"I don't know girl, but you're the one who's going to have to find out and fast."

"I know…"

She wasn't looking forward to that. It seemed so underhanded. She was hardly the other woman coming to wreck their relationship, but still. It wasn't something Kate had ever envisioned herself doing. She sighed and dropped the sheet. It wasn't time to dwell on it. Instead she allowed herself a smile and told Lanie, in a conspiratorial whisper:

"He walked me home last night."

"Did he carry your books too?"

Only a bff could yank you right out of the sweet moment like that.

"Come on, he left the party he was hosting to do it. It's sweet, right?"

"Yes, very. At this rate, next year you'll be holding hands. Hopefully."

"Let me appreciate this, please."

Lanie sighed.

"You know, girl, sometimes I wonder about you. Most girls would consider that the pat of death and you're thinking "almost first date". You need to up your expectations."

"I just like the genuine gestures. He can, and offered to, buy me a pony, doesn't mean he means it. I like this, the purely Castle things."

"The pony IS a purely Castle thing and you know it."

"Lanie…"

"Alright, play it your way, but you better come home with some results."

Kate laughed and said goodbye, hanging up the phone. She looked around and decided that breakfast was in order, so she went downstairs and opened the back door, so air could come in. What it carried was not the sea breeze, but the clicking of keyboard keys. Puzzled, Kate put her head out.

"Castle?

There he was, sitting on one of the deck chairs, his laptop plugged in the outside outlet and typing like the world was gonna end. He looked up at the sound of his name and smiled at her.

"Hey! You're up! Good."

"What are you doing here?"

"There's this awesome place in town, they make the best breakfast. I mean, you seriously haven't lived until you've had their gauffre liégeoise."

His enthusiasm made Kate blink and she at and looked him over again. She could understand the breakfast offer, it was nice actually, but what she didn't get was the whole set up.

"How long have you been here?"

He looked at his watch and frowned, doing the math in his head.

"Two hours maybe? Didn't want to miss you, besides, I've been writing this whole time, so it's actually productive time. You wouldn't believe what I've accomplish so far!"

While he spoke, Castle saved his work and unplugged the laptop, walking toward the door and forcing her back inside. Kate blinked at him and decided she as at disadvantage. He was obviously caffeinated, she very much wasn't.

"I need coffee."

"They have coffee there and it's good. Go get dressed," he said, while literally pushing her out of the kitchen.

Kate shook her head and did as she was told for once. She wanted food and having it with Castle was just a plus. Besides, the fact that he'd waited that long was, well, cute. It could have been considered creepy, if he'd stared at the house the whole time for instance, but like this, it was just sweet.

It took her less than 15 minutes, having kept her prepping to a minimum, though at it's most flattering. e way Castle smiled when she walked in let her know she had done good.

"Ready?"

"As much I can be."

Castle's smile turned soft and he gestured her out of the kitchen. They went out of the house and he took her car keys. She gave him a WTF? look.

"How could you possibly know how to get there?"

"You could tell me."

"And ruin my one chance to drive?"

He opened the passenger door for her and Kate grudgingly sat down. He slammed the door with a wide grin and walked over to take his place behind the driver's seat. He made quite a bit of a show of adjusting everything just right and Kate clicked her tongue.

"I swear Castle, if you damage my car I'll make you weep."

"I'll buy you a new one if I do and you'll like it so much you'll be the one weeping."

He backed out of the drive with a pensive look on his face. Her eyes narrowed, it was never a good omen when he had that face on and it didn't involve a case.

"If I back our squad car in a tree, do you think the captain would make me buy a new one?"

The hopeful tone confirmed her apprehension and Kate raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"We'll never know, will we? Because I just can't come up with a scenario that would involve you driving our car."

"I could park it."

"Nope."

"Get it to the door when it rains?"

Her mouth opened a little in disbelief.

"_You _wait inside when it rains."

Realizing he wasn't winning any points, Castle turned his attention back to the road with a mumbled: 'I'll figure something out.' He looked so put out that Kate put a comforting hand on his knee.

"We can probably have your seat fixed."

To that, Castle perked up and looked at her, suddenly interested in his options.

"Can we get a new radio?"

"Seat, Castle, just the seat."

He sighed in defeat and covered her hand with his, preventing her from retreating. The rest of the drive was spend with him holding on to her hand and pointing out his favourite spots, even if he had to raise her arm every other minute to do it. He really loved this place. When they arrived at the restaurant, she had to sigh. He'd been right, she never would have found it or guessed that the house contained a restaurant. It was as low key as any hole in the wall in the city, but the house blended perfectly in it's surroundings. He was out of the car and around to her door before she even unbuckled her seatbelt. He opened the door and Kate smirked as he helped her out.

"Wow. Look who's become a gentleman."

"I'll have you know that my mother taught me two things: Manners and how to handle a hangover."

Kate smiled and took the hand he offered her to help her out.

"Thank you."

He smiled and put her hand in the crook of his elbow, escorting her inside.

"Your mother taught you well, but don't think this will continue when we're back working murder scenes."

"I will not help you out of the car at crimes scenes. Got it."

She smiled and saw the loophole as he did, but they said nothing as Rick opened the door for her. They were just inside the door when what Kate assumed to be the owner came to greet them personally.

"Ricky, my boy!"

An overly thin woman with a short gray bob and laughing green eyes hugged him for all he was worth. When he pulled back Rick gave her a thorough once over.

"Tamara, you look prettier every time I see you. Leave him and run away with me."

The woman laughed as she looked around, frowning a little.

"Where's my strawberry baby?"

"Princeton, program for high schoolers."

The woman put her hand on his cheek and looked him in the eye.

"And how are you holding up."

Instead of joking it away, like she would have bet on him to do, Castle did a "so-so" gesture with his hand.

"I always knew it was coming."

"Don't make it any easier though."

"Nope, but I brought what I think should be a worthy replacement."

He pulled back from the lady's immediate orbit and turned to include Kate in their circle.

"Tamara, meet Kate Beckett."

"Your Kate Beckett?"

"The one and only."

Before Kate could say a word, the woman stepped forward and hugged her just as fiercely as she had hugged Castle. Surprised, it took her a few seconds to respond and she patted her back awkwardly while Castle smirked. When she pulled back, the woman smiled at Kate.

"I'm sorry honey, Rick just told us so much about you, you're already like family. Now, come, sit. I'll bring you coffee and two specials."

And with that, the whirlwind woman was gone. Rick was staring at her appreciatively.

"What just happened?"

Castle just looked at her and grinned, gesturing to one of the tables.

"You just met one of the woman in the very short list of extraordinary women in my life."

"Love of your life?"

"One of them for sure. Tamara's been here longer than we have, she babysat Alexis, she took care of me and

fed me when I had writer's block. She's a lifesaver, sometimes a lifeline too."

Kate smiled at the obvious love in his voice and comprehension dawned.

"Derek Storm's beloved housekeeper?"

Castle nodded with a grin and it made Kate feel a little warm inside. She knew his appreciation for the people in his life translated to the page. Now, that made her wonder how much he appreciated her to write a whole series of book on her. Her musings were interrupted by Tamara, who was carrying to bowls vanilla scented café au lait. At least Kate's was. She looked up, surprised.

"He asked to taste it when he was writing Heat Wave. Research into his new character he said."

"You have a good memory."

"Well, one day when Ricky here will be famous, little tidbits of information like that will be tradeable like cash."

Kat's eyes widened in surprise and the woman winked at her, while Castle laughed.

"I'll be back with your breakfast soon."

Kate looked back at Rick who was still chuckling.

"She's that unfazed?"

"But then so are you."

"Yeah, but I got to arrest you and deal with you on a daily basis. It shatters the illusion."

"Ouch."

Kate gave him her Ta-Ha! Face just as a large man, who was as tall as Tamara was short came out, carrying two oversized plates.

"You here to try to steal my wife again, are you, you rascal?"

"I am! And one day I'll succeed!"

The man put the plates down in front of them while Rick got up and the two shared a manly hug with plenty of back clapping.

"How are you Jim?"

"Good, we're better. She's getting her strength back."

"And you?"

"Bah, you know me, so long as she's good, I'm good. Now, who's this?"

He turned kind chocolate brown eyes to Kate and she almost blushed.

"Jim, meet detective Kate Beckett. This is James Edwards, Tamara's husband."

"I figured. Pleasure to meet you. "

"It's an honour to meet anyone who can keep this one in line."

"You give me more credit than I deserve."

"He hasn't been shot and he's out of jail. You're doing fine."

Kate laughed, knowing that Castle was more in danger of being shot and put in jail by her than by anyone else, and she got a glimpse of Jim's dimples. They were charming.

"I'll leave you to it."

He walked away and Kate turned to Castle, almost sorry she had to tell him straight.

"You'll never steal his wife from him."

The disbelief on his face was worth everything.

"You've spoken to him for five seconds."

"It's the dimples, they don't lie.

"I have dimples. Sort of."

She gave him one of her best Mona Lisa smile, the one that hid the fact that she had noticed his almost dimples. Often. And that she liked them. A lot. Kate then turned her attention to her plate.

"Whoa."

There was a small mountain of waffles and they looked beautiful. The cut berries and the dipping chocolate screamed sugar OD, but she would die a happy woman if the divine sugary smell was any indication. She took a bite of waffle and the crystal sugar crunched just right. She could barely withhold her moan of pleasure while Castle just grinned at her and popped a strawberry in his mouth. The self-satisfaction was coming out of him in waves.

"Alright, you delivered. This time."

"When don't I, detective?"

"Last night."

His grin vanished and he frowned, immediately making her feel guilty. She had fully expected him to wiggle his eyebrows and make an inappropriate comment, but instead, he seemed to be desperately looking for something he had done to displease her. Unwilling to let him beat his brains out, Kate smirked.

"You promised a bonfire and some smores. I didn't see anything of the kind in your very grown up gathering."

His face relaxed and he smiled at her, the relief obvious in the loosening of his face.

"Well, allow me to remedy to the situation tonight. I can provide fireworks if it would please you."

Kate looked at him, chewing slowly to make him squirm, or something close to it, before she nodded almost absentmindedly.

"Yes, I think I can free my schedule tonight."

The glee on his face warmed her and worried her in equal measures. Good thing she was used to that, he had a tendency to bring out both emotions in her simultaneously. Changing the subject before she could worry too much, Kate asked:

"Why is Tamara regaining her strength?"

His face sobered up and his eyes became so sad she was sorry she asked, but instead of telling her to mind her own business, Castle simply answered the question, obviously minimizing the gravity of the event.

"She was sick for a while and we worried a bit, but she looks good now, don't you think?"

Having no previous knowledge of the woman, the only thing she could do was nod and put her hand over his. She didn't know him to take much seriously, but the people he loved were at the top of the list and he obviously cared about this woman a great deal. As he turned his hand and link thumbs and pinkies, she realized that it made him even more attractive in her mind. Not that he needed any more points in the pro column, but it was always good to see those points there when he made a bad joke, or when he annoyed her or when he didn't stay in the car or… So, perhaps stockpiling the good points wasn't that bad an idea after all. She smiled at him and freed her hand, finally eating her breakfast.

While they ate, she told him about Lanie's drive to her parents and she told him more about to Parish clan, how she had been adopted in to it as soon as she and Lanie and had met, becoming Lauren and Joshua Parish's fifth kid (if only second daughter), a joy considering her own single child existence. He laughed at the image of the ultra feminine Dr. Parish being brought up in houseful of boys and she knew he would tease Lanie mercilessly from now on. But he was good at listening and he knew just when to ask the right question and it made their time together go by that much faster. Before they knew it, Gina had called, looking for him. That sobered Kate fast enough and while Castle was trying to placate his ex wife, she went to get the check from Tamara, who refused to give it to her.

"No, no, Rick always eat here for free… Unless he brings someone we don't like, then I charge him double, but otherwise, absolutely not."

"But…"

"Nu-uh, sugar."

And the law was laid down. Kate bit her lip and finally nodded, accepting the fact that she had met someone almost as stubborn as she, but mostly someone she didn't want to insult by insisting. She thanked Tamara, but before she could walk away, the woman took her arm and stopped her.

"I wouldn't worry about Gina."

Seeing Kate's puzzled look, she added:

"Gina, his ex wife. She's just that, his ex and, oddly enough, a good friend. It doesn't go beyond that so don't worry."

"I wasn't..."

"Of course you were sugar, but don't. Now, on with you."

Just as she said that, Castle came by and gave Tamara a bear hug.

"Be careful and I'll be back soon."

Jim was coming out with other plates and Castle told him:

"Don't you make me come back here to kick your ass cause you ain't taking care of my sweetheart."

"That's rich coming from a reprobate like you."

They bumped shoulders as he passed and with a final goodbye wave, they walked out of the restaurant.

"Thank you for bringing me here, it was lovely."

"It was my pleasure, detective."

The drive back was spent in silence and once at Vanessa's place, Rick gave her back the keys with a regretful sigh that made her laugh.

"I'm sure you'll get another chance to drive Castle."

"With the sirens?"

"Let me, think on that… No."

"You crush me."

She laughed and he followed her inside, picking up his laptop from where he had left it.

"I have to go and write. I'll see you later?"

"You did promise me fireworks."

"That I did, detective, that I did."

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek gently, then nuzzled her cheek with his nose, feather light.

"Until then."

And he walked out, leaving Kate to stare after him, her slack jaw giving way to a grin and then a giggle when the door closed behind him. Well, wasn't this something?


	6. Chapter 6

Hello everyone!

I know, I'm a bad updater and this isn't quite what you were expecting, and neither will be the next (at least I'm upfront about it, right? So you'll forgive me, right?) But I hope you will have fun all the same. FYI, this still isn't THE bikini. I have plans for that oh! so very little scrap of fabric. *snickers*

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are AMAZING! You know that, right?

Cat: You're so FLUFFY!

* * *

The 'swish-clok, swish clok' of something being dragged on the sand and hitting someone's heel entered Kate's sleepy consciousness. She turned around lazily and saw Castle in his swimming shorts, walking toward her and a broad grin on his face.

"Come on sleepy head, I only have 17 minutes left."

"What? What for?"

"Boogie boarding!"

He pulled what he was dragging in front of him with a glee that made her groan: two short, colourful boards. Kate looked at them with puzzled hostility.

"What?"

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I've never…"

"That's ok, I'll show you. Come on!"

And with that he took her hand and pulled her toward the surf.

"Castle… AAAAH!"

The water hit her feet and she jumped back.

"It's freezing!"

"It's energizing. Come on."

Against her better judgment, Kate let herself be dragged in the water, stretching herself as tall as she could to keep all the important bits dry. A futile effort. When they were just a little before breaking point, Castle stopped and handed her a board.

"Hands flat on the board, bottom of the board at your waist, point it toward the beach, catch a wave and turn either left or right by lowering that side of the board a little in the water and then ride!"

She looked at him then at the board dubiously, but Castle just grinned.

"Let me show you."

And he leaned down on his board, paddling with his feet, catching the wave at just the right time. He tried to turn left but went at it just a little too hard and the force of the wave yanked his board from him, leaving him to sink in the roll. He came up sputtering and Kate laughed at his drowned rat look. He looked adorable.

"Well, as I wanted to show you, this is what you don't do."

"You don't say! Now, are you really gonna show me what I have to do or will I have to show you?"

Castle turned back to her from where he'd went to retrieve his board and he fixed her with a mock glare.

"In your wildest fantasies, maybe. I am a king, a master of the board and you will…"

Splash him is what she did. She hit the water as hard as she could with the side of her board, showering him with cold water. When it fell, he was left staring at her with his face dripping, mild disbelief colouring his blue eyes, but the spark of challenge eclipsed it all.

"Oh. You know what this means don't you?"

Before he could even move, Kate squealed, not that she'd ever admit doing something so girl, and jumped on her board just as a new wave came through, carrying her away from him.

"Beginner's luck!"

And he started running after her, sending water her way as much as he could. He finally met up with her when the wave she was riding hit the shore, her knees stopping in the sand. She flipped over and immediately put the board in front of her face, her elbows in the sand, to protect herself from most of the water Castle was sent her way.

"I have you at my mercy!"

He did his best maniacal laughter, holding the board like some weapon, but the fact that he would have to bend down to actually hit the water with it sort of ruined his super villain effectiveness. Kate lowered hers and gave him that cute, coy, innocent look she does, while revealing just enough of her cleavage to give him a focus point. So what if she put herself at advantage and squeezed her arms closer to her chest, lifting her assets enough to be eye roll worthy? All was far in war, wasn't it? She bit her lip and asked:

"But, aren't you proud I rode my first wave?"

The change of subject and the unexpected visual seemed to impair his ability to think and he gaped at her. She allowed herself an inner back pat and turned just a quarter of a inch, making her look a little less helpless victim and way more seductress.

"Help me up?"

Rick blinked at the request, as if his brain was starting again and the "Castle personality" reasserted itself. He bowed to her with a flourish, holding out his hand. She took it and he helped her up, pulling her close enough that they were almost touching, her hand still safely in his grasp. She smiled up at him, the hand still holding the string of her board lifting to his upper arm, leaning into him just a little more.

"You were right, this is fun."

"Isn't it?"

Neither of them was referring to the boogie boarding. Kate opened he mouth to ask him about later when:

"RICK!"

The both turned to look toward the beach and saw Gina tapping her watch. Kate looked back at him and took a step back, but Castle didn't let go of her hand.

"Yours didn't ring."

He showed her his watch-less wrist.

"I hid it in my office. I hoped she wouldn't notice right away I wasn't back."

"We need to work on your nefarious plots."

"Oh, I will detective. With the proper incentive I will rule the world. Mouahahahahahahah."

"And find you a slightly less annoying evil laugh."

Castle grinned at her and took her board from her, finally letting their hands separate as they headed back on dry land together, where Gina was waiting for them.

"I'm sorry to take him away detective, but it would be great if he could finish this book sooner rather than later."

"But even if it's later, the world will still love it."

"Still struggling with his delusions of grandeur, I see."

The playful statement was addressed to Kate, who had to nod.

"I'm afraid the ego doesn't shrink in cold water."

Rick looked affronted.

"That's right, gang up on me, but one day, you'll see, oh you will see."

"See what, Castle?"

He looked baffled for a second, but just for a second.

"The spectacular outcome of the improvement of my nefarious plots."

Kate blinked twice and took a slow, deliberate step away from him.

"Lucky you're a better novelist than an evil mastermind. I suggest you stick to that."

"Speaking of which, you're due back in front of your computer. Now."

Castle nodded.

"Yes, oh slave driver. I will go and re-attach myself to your modern day torture device. Detective, I will see you soon. Ish."

And with that he walked away leaving her to shiver on the way he'd called her detective. It had started to sound much more like an endearment than her official title and it made her feel all gooey inside. Kate watched them leave and she was pleased to see that while he and Gina were talking, they were not holding hands or any things of the kind. He turned back at the gate to look at her and she could almost feel the softness of his smile from where she stood. If she was to take that and the good, long look Castle gave her when she was down on the sand as indications of his interest, she had more than a fighting chance here.

All she really had to do was take it. And there was no better occasion than his next break. A gust of wine made goosebumps rise on her skin and she smiled. It was time to go see what sort of dry clothes Lanie had insisted she bring with her.


	7. Chapter 7

Evening everyone! Here we are for another tiny update, but I promise the next one will be longer. Honest! Oki, here's a tiny explanation: La Rentrée Littéraire for those who are unfamiliar with the term is the periode between mid-august and mid november when all the big titles come out to be in the running for the major literary prizes and holiday sales. At elast in the french publishing word. We couldn't find the equivalent term in english, and lords know we tried. So I made the executive decision that Gina was snotty enough to use the french term. :D Mouahahahahaha!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, you rock as per usual! :D

To Cat, who doesn't tolerate amnesia or corset ripping.

* * *

An hour and fifty-five minutes later, dressed in a white vintage sweater that hinted just a glimpse of her blue bra, cut-offs and flip-flops, Kate was just knocking on Castle's back door. Gina answered with a surprised:

"Detective?"

"Hi, sorry to bother you. Isn't Castle due for his next break?"

Gina glanced at her watch.

"In a few minutes, yes. Please, come in."

She let her in graciously and Kate saw the publisher's work sprawled all over the breakfast table. There seemed to be a lot of it.

"The Rentrée Littéraire is coming soon, despite Richard's obvious disregard for deadlines. I can't stop working just because our biggest author needs babysitting."

"Seems like a lot of work."

Gina nodded and took a sip of the sparkling water she had left on the floor, next to her seat.

"It is, but it's rewarding. Certainly not as much as putting murderers behind bars, but I do have other perks."

Whether Richard Castle was one of those perks or not, the blonde had the good taste to keep it to herself. She took another peek at her Rolex and smiled at Kate.

"You can go now, he's probably chaffing to be let out."

"Thank you."

Kate abandoned her in favour of Castle's company. He was sitting with his back to the door, his feet propped up on the windowsill and his laptop on his lap, but he didn't appear to be writing at all.

"comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon…"

"Waiting for inspiration to strike, Castle?"

Her voice obviously startled him and he almost fell back, with the surprise, straightening himself at the last moment. He grinned at her as he stood up.

"And if I was?"

"Given enough incentives, I'm sure I could be persuaded to help, being your muse and all."

The idea seemed to appeal to him, if his wide leering grin was any indication.

"And what would you be wearing if I do give you reason to strike?"

She gave him her most evil grin, the one that begged to let trouble happen and she brought her right hand up.

"I brought presents."

She held a thermos and out of it she took two popsicles. She handed him the cherry flavoured one and kept the grape for herself.

"Treats! I must have been such a good boy."

"Hardly, but you did show me a good time, so I thought I'd repay the favour a little. And I had to extend an invite."

He looked up from opening his wrapping to look at her. While she held his attention, she split her popsicle on the side of his desk and she opened it, taking one half out. She stuck it in her mouth as deliberately as she could and started to suck on it, delighted to see him focus on her mouth. The way his opened just a little put a wicked gleam in her eye and if she could have giggled she would have. Some things were clichés for a very good reason. Rick cleared his throat and swallowed hard.

"So? The invite?"

"Oh! Yes! I was thinking of cooking you dinner tonight, to try to stave off the diabetic coma I'm sure you have planned."

She put the cold treat back in her mouth and bit the end as Castle watched in fascination, not having touched his own yet. She chewed slowly before she said.

"I thought you liked cherries."

The little innocent tone didn't fool Rick one bit and he smiled, taking his somewhat runny popsicle out of the wrapping.

"I do indeed. The taste, the smell, everything that has to do with cherries, I love."

Kate's eyes widened a little bit and it was her turn to swallow, twice. Rick's grin became almost predatory; he was glad to have turned the tables on her.

"And I would love to have dinner with you tonight."

He sounded more like he would love for HER to be dinner and the thought made Kate's knees weaken just a little. She watched his eyes darken in a look of barely concealed desire and she cleared her throat.

"Great. I'll make it worth your while, Castle."

"You always do, Kate."

His tone was so serious, it made warmth spread through her chest, kicking her heartbeat up a notch in pleasure and she gave him a luminous grin. It was the kind he rarely saw and but the kind that let him know he had accomplished something.

"Well, I'll let you work, your time is almost up."

He glanced at his watch and pouted, but not the deliberate, pitiful "Castle pout" she was used to. There was genuine disappointment on his face. She turned to leave, thermos still in hand, but his voice stopped her half way.

"I wasn't waiting for inspiration to strike. I was willing time to go faster."

She looked at him over her shoulder and turned back to him.

"Did it work?"

"Magnificently."

It was lucky she didn't blush easily, otherwise her face would have been a less than becoming shade of scarlet.

"Well, don't let it go to your head Castle. You can't control all the elements yet."

He stepped closer to her and ran a fingertip on the shoulder her vintage sweater left bare.

"I don't need to, when you feel merciful."

A shiver went through Kate when his finer lingered on her ear, as he put a lock of hair behind it.

"Here I though I was being merciless."

"One and the same, detective."

He leaned forward and let his nose touch her skin, going down to her throat. She could hear him breath in deeply, taking in the scent of her skin.

"And I do love cherries."

He kissed the side of her neck and stepped back. She could see he was afraid he'd stepped way over the line, but she just blinked slowly, her stomach liquid and she smiled at him. She hooked a finger around one of the buttons of the shirt he was wearing and looked in him straight in the eyes.

"That's a really good thing Castle. I'm glad you made it clear."

It was her turn to lean forward and she kissed his jaw, just below his ear.

"Be there any time after seven. I'll be waiting."

"Not for long."

She gave him one last soft smile and left his office, her heart stomping in her chest . She put a hand to her stomach to quiet the butterflies and grinned madly. Who would have thought that sharing ice pops with him could be so interesting?


End file.
